Light aromas of hazelnut appeared upon brewing with faint notes of vanilla hiding underneath. We were expecting a bit stronger of an aroma but were glad to see the tropical theme was present with the vanilla notes.

Flavor was thankfully stronger with an abundance of hazelnut nicely topped with hints of vanilla once again. We were also pleased to notice a stronger roast profile than most Kona-blends we’ve tried in the past and while we wouldn’t label this as an extra bold by a longshot, it’s still got a decent strength overall. Acidity was on the medium side with a small bite of sour notes on the finish.

The body of the Wolfgang Puck Hawaiian Hazelnut K-Cups had us surprised with shades of light brown which exploded into a nice orange/yellow sunset effect when held to a light source. The first thing that popped to mind was a tropical sunset, so bonus points for that. Mouth feel was a bit on the oily side but still remained smooth enough not to hinder the experience in any way.

Aroma – 9 – Not as strong as we were expecting, but decent still the same. Extra point for the notes of vanilla which added to the tropical experience.

Acidity – 6 – Medium with a small bite of sour notes on the finish.

Body – 10 – Shades of light brown which explode into an orange/yellow burst when held to a light source. Reminiscent of a tropical sunset. Nice.

We liked the fact that there wasn’t just a light smattering of hazelnut flavor thrown into the Wolfgang Puck Hawaiian Hazelnut K-Cups, but that Van Houtte thought of adding vanilla notes as well. Whether or not this was intentional, we think it works and makes for a satisfying tropical hazelnut experience. If you like a typical everyday hazelnut coffee, you might want to give this one a try if you’re looking for something different and slightly stronger.

AO: Personally, I will never give Keurig or Green Mountain another read moreManuel : I'm on the second machine and it is doing the read moreAO: I just happened to find the following on a coffee read moreMelanie McReynolds: Keurig just lost another customer. They had a great concept read moreAO: I would be curious to see how much Kona coffee read more